The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Crown Event Center Committee voted Tuesday, Aug. 15 to approve the schematic design for the new Crown Event Center and approach to the exterior façade.

Committee members received an update from the Project Development Team (PDT) on the schematic design process, during which project architect EwingCole met with internal operating groups to develop the program for individual spaces within the building including the main event hall, lobby and other public spaces, VIP spaces, and performer and other back-of-house spaces.

Bill Koonz, Regional Director for EwingCole, showed the Committee several renderings of the building’s exterior, which includes a glass curtain wall facing Gillespie Street with wood-look column enclosures and exterior shading devices, along with a roof terrace that includes plantings and an exterior shade canopy.

“It’s impressive,” said Commissioner Jimmy Keefe in a press release. “This is a big day for Cumberland County.”

Additionally, Koonz shared a proposed adjustment to the facility’s service yard, which would enclose the service yard, accommodate more large trucks for events and performances, provide capacity for back-of-house spaces to be located on the first floor and allow the building footprint to be moved off Gillespie Street to give more room for pedestrian traffic and queueing before events. Although there are additional costs to the changes, Koonz confirmed that the project is still within the Board of Commissioners’ approved budget.

The Committee voted unanimously to approve the Schematic Design including the service yard adjustment and directed EwingCole to give a presentation to the full Board of Commissioners during their Aug. 21 meeting, which will be held at 6:45 p.m. in the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

The Committee also voted to move forward with a Pre-Opening Consulting Agreement with Crown Complex manager Oak View Group (OVG) to be considered by the Board of Commissioners at the Aug. 21 meeting. The agreement would provide design consulting and pre-opening services to ensure the facility is designed and built to maximize operational efficiencies and provide an exceptional customer and user experience.

The Crown Event Center Committee is comprised of Commissioners Vice Chairman Glenn Adams, who chairs the committee, and commissioners Jeannette Council and Jimmy Keefe, along with Cumberland County Civic Center Commission Chairman Mark Yarboro, who serves in an ex-officio capacity. The Project Delivery Team (PDT) is made up of County staff, and staff from OVG, owner’s representative MBP Carolinas and architectural firm EwingCole.

The Crown Event Center will be constructed on County-owned property in front of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse in Downtown Fayetteville. The facility will replace the existing Crown Theatre and Arena, which must close by October 31, 2025.

For additional details regarding the Crown Event Center project, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/crowneventcenter.